Tobacco-leaf stripping machine.



v PATENTED' 002.6, 1903. G. A. MARIE, TOBACCO LEAF STRIPPING MACHINE.

. APL'mATmN 11,513 DEG. 2791902.

isro MODEL.

witmewm m: Nonms Pam cu. m cro-Lima, wwmnnrow, B4 c PATENTED OCT. 6,1903.

G. A. MARIER. v TOBAGGO LEAF STRIBPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED D20. 27, 1902.

s SHEETS-81111232.

N0 MODEL. 7

U ITED STATES Patented October 6, 190a.

PATENT OEEIcE.

GUSTAVE ANTOINE MARIER, OF MONTREAL, vCANADA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO S. DAVISdt SONS, MONTREAL, CANADA, A FIRM.

TOBACCO LEAF- STfRIPPlNG MACHlNEi.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 740,675, dated October 6, 1903. Applicatibn filed December 27, 1902. Serial No. 136,869. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE ANTOINE MA- RIER, of the cityof Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Leaf-Stripping Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a clear and exact description of the same. I

My invention relates particularly to the separation of the stems or mid-ribs from tobacco-leaves; and it has for its object to provide a machine whereby the leafis held without damage thereto and split along each side of the stem or mid-rib.

To this end the invention may be said, briefly, to consist in combining witha table a device adapted to retain the leaf upon the table, means for flattening the leaf, and means for dividing the stem or mid-rib from the leaf and removing same from the table.

For full comprehension, however, of my in-.

is a detail transverse sectional view of the hollow work-table. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective View of my improved scraper, and Fig. 8 is a perspective, view of one of the blades removed.

My improved work-support consists of a pair of oblong boxes I), having their top sides perforated, as at 0. These boxes are secured side by side and a short distance apart upon the top e of a table f (of any approved construction) by screws g or otherwise and parallel to a slot (Z transversely of said table. These boxes are connected by branch pipes h and 't' and a main-pipe length j to the suction-port of an ordinary rotary blower k. A pair of knives m are located between the boxes with their cutting edges slightly above the adjacent side edges of said boxes. Each of the knives has a pair of lugs n upon and projecting laterally from its ends, whilea lug o is upon the middle of the lower side of each reoiprocat'ory slide-bar it, having one end forked, as shown in Fig. 5, and arranged with one prong above the other, each prong being perforated. The roller is mounted in a forked bracket i, the shank t whereof is hollow and inserted in the perforation in the lower prong and is fitted slidably overa spindle 30, having a rigid collar 39 and mounted in the perforation in the upper prong of the fork. A spring 3l-bears between the top of the hollow shank and the collar 39, and the hollow shank is prevented from turning by a feather 13, while the spindle 30 is adjustably held by asst-screw o,thus enabling the tension of the spring to be varied in order to adjust the yielding connection between said roller and slide-bar. This slide-bar slides in a guideway w, secured by bolts 00 to the tabletop in line with the knives.

The driving-gear whereby the blower is driven and the slide-bar reciprocated consists of a horizontal shaft 2, suspended in a bearing 3, secured to the under side of the table. Tight and loose pulleys 4 and 5, respectively, are mounted upon one end of this shaft, and a sprocket-wheel 6 upon the opposite end thereof is connected by a chain 1 to a larger sprocket-wheel 7 upon a counter-shaft 8, suspended in bearings 9, also secured to the under side of the table. This counter-shaft also has a pulley 10 and crank-wheel 13 thereon, the pulley being connected to the drivingpulley ll of the blower by a belt 12 and the crank 13 being connected by a pitman 14 to a depending arm 15 upon the slide-bar u.

The main pipe 3' is controlled by a flap-- valve 20, seated toward the exit end of the pipe in order that the suction will tend to close it. This valve is secured rigidly to a spindle 21, rotatably mounted in a box 22 (constituting a valve-chamber) and having one end projecting through one side thereof and cranked, as at 27, while a cord 23, running over pulleys 24 and 24, is connected at one end to said cranked end of the valve-spindle and at its other end to a treadle 25. The valve is normally held closed and is opened by the depression of the treadle. A chute 26 is located beneath the blades and receives the stems or mid-ribs as they are cut from the leaves.

The roller is covered by a shield in the form of an inverted box 32, secured to the fork, and a scraper 33 of U form in cross-section (see Fig. 7) is carried by the latter and adapted to scrape the edges of the knives as the roller passes over them, thus keeping them free from the adhesive gum natural to the tobacco-leaf.

The operation of my improved strippingmachine is as follows: The driving-belt is first shifted to the tight pulley, which results in the reciprocation of the presser-roller over the perforated face and the operation of the blower, which,however,is prevented from creating a suction through the perforations by the valve. The operator then spreads a leaf upon the Work-table with its stem or mid-rib lying between the blades. This is done during the intervals between the reciprocations of the roller, and as soon as he has spread the leaf he depresses the treadle, thus allowinga suction to be exerted upon the perforations and holding the leaf down until the roller has passed over the Work-support. The pressure of the roller as it passes over the work-support causes the blades to sever the stem or mid-rib from the leaf and it falls between said blades and down the chute to any suitable receptacle. (Not shown.)

What I claim is as follows:

, 1. In a leaf-cutting machine, a stationary cutting device consisting of a pair of straight blades arranged side by side a short distance apart, and a reciprocatory presser device adapted to bear intermittently upon said cutting device.-

2. In a leaf-cutting-machine, a cutting device consisting of a pair of blades, means for adjusting said blades toward and from one another, means for securing said blades in the positions to which they are adjusted and a presser device bearing intermittently upon said blades.

3. In a tobacco-leaf-stripping machine, a stationary work-support, acutting device consisting of a pair of straight blades arranged substantially parallel to one another and carried by said work -support and projecting above same, and a presser device adapted to bear intermittently upon said blades, for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a tobacco-leaf-stripping machine, a stationary work-support, a cutting device carried by said work-support and projecting above same said cutting device consisting of a pair of straight blades arranged substantially parallel to one another, a presser-roller adapted to bear upon said blades, and means for reciprocating said roller longitudinally of said blades substantially as described and for the purpose set forth. g

5. In a leaf-cutting machine, a work-support having a slot therein, a cutting device in said slot and consisting of a pair of blades, located a short distance apart and in said slot, means for securing said blades to the side walls of said slot, and a presser device bearing intermittently upon said cutting device, for the purpose set forth.

(3. Ina leaf-cutting machine, a work-support having aslot therein, a cutting device in said slot and consisting of a pair of blades, means for adjusting said blades toward and from one another, means for securing said blades in the positions to which they are adjusted, and a presser device bearing intermittently upon said cutting device.

7. In a leaf-cutting machine, a work-support consisting of a' pair of members located a short distance apart and each presenting a fiat supporting-surface, a supporting-frame for said work-supporting members, means securing said members to said supportingframe, a cutting device between said members consisting of a pair of blades located one in close proximity to each of said members, means securing one of said blades to one of said members and the other blade to the other member, and a presser device adapted to bear intermittently upon said cutting device.

8. In a leaf-cutting machine, a stationary work-support consisting of a pair of members located a short distance apart and each presenting a flat horizontal bearingsurface, a pair of knives each having a lug at each end thereof and a lug upon the lower edge thereof, means for adj ustably securing the end lugs to the ends of said members, means for holding the lugs upon the lower edges against the under sides of said work-supportin g members, and a reciprocating roller bearing intermittently upon said blades. I

9. In a leaf-cutting machine, the combination with a work-support, of a pair of knives each having a lug at each end thereof, means for adjustably securing said lugs to the worksupport, and a reciprocating roller bearing intermittently upon said blades.

10. In a cutting-machine a work-support having a slot therein, a cutting device in said slot and consisting of a pair of blades,a presser device bearing intermittently upon said cutting device, and a scraper coacting with said presser device for cleaning the cutting edges of said blades.

11. In a cutting-machine a work-support havinga slot therein, a cutting device insaid slot and consisting of a pair of blades, means for adjusting said blades toward and from one another, a presser device bearing intermittently upon said cutting device, and a scraper for cleaning the cutting edges of said blades.

12. Ina cutting-machine a work-support having a slot therein, a cutting device in said slot and consisting of a pair of blades, means for adjusting said blades toward and from one another, a presser device bearing intermittently upon said cutting device, and a scraper for cleaning the cutting edges of said blades, said scraper being of U form in horizontal section and depending from said presser device, and means for actuating said presser device and scraper.

13. The combination with a work-support, an upwardly-facing cutter upon said worksupport, and a guideway in line with said outter, of a reciprocatory presser device consisting of a slide-bar slidable in said guideway, a yielding presser-roller carried by one end of said slide-bar andbearing upon said cutter, a crank supported beneath said work-support, means for rotating said crank, and a pitman connecting said crank to said slide-bar, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

14. The combination with a Work-support, an upwardly-facing cutter upon said Worksnpport, and a guideway in line with said outter of a reciprocatory presser device consisting of a slide-bar slidable in said guideway, a roller carried by one end of said slide-bar and bearing upon said cutter, a crank supported adjacent to said work-support, means for rotating said crank, and a pitman connecting said crank to said slide-bar, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

15. The combination with a work-support, an upwardly-facing cutter upon said worksupport, and a guideway in line with said cutter, of -a reciprocatory presser device consisting of a slide-bar slidable in said guideway,

a roller, means adjustably connecting said roller to one end of said slide-bar said roller bearing upon said cutter, a crank supported adjacent to said work-support, means for rotating said crank, and a pitman connecting said crank to said slide-bar, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

16. In a cutting-machine, and a work-support consisting of a pair of hollow members located a short distance apart and each having its work-supporting face perforated; a guideway in connection with said support; a cutting device between'said members consisting of a pair of blades located in close proximity to each of said members; means exerting a suction upon the interiors of said hollow members consisting of a suction device, a duct connecting said suction device to the interior of said hollow members, a valve controlling said duct, a treadle, an operative connection between said treadle and valve; means for adjusting said blades toward and from one another; a presser device adapted to bear intermittently upon said cutting device and consisting of a slide-bar slidable in said guideway, a roller carried by one end of said slide-bar and bearing upon said cutting device; a crank supported adjacent to said work-s11 pport, means .for rotating said crank, and a pitman connecting said crank to said slide-bar, substantially as des'cribed and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have aftixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAVE ANTOINE MARIER.

Witnesses: V

WILLIAM P. MoFEA'r, FRED. J. SEARS. 

